Oil separating device



Aug. 21, 1956 J. E. MILLER OIL SEPARATING DEVICE '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28, 1951 ojar'zfis Emma srzveabo r" 6S QtLor'neg g- 1 5 J. E: MILLER 2,759,608

OIL SEPARATING DEVICE Filed March 28, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fClr'UiS ZMz'ZZek {Sm amb r 52S Clbcorne 1, 1956 J. MILLER 2,759,608

OIL SEPARATING DEVICE Filed March 28, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR JARVIS E. MILLER FlG.3a.

ATTORNEY nited States 2,759,608 Patented Aug. 21, 1956 E SEPARATING DEVICE Application March 28, 1951, Serial No. 218,001 6 Claims. (Cl. 210-54) This invention relates to an apparatus for removing liquids, such as oil, from the surface of another liquid of higher specific gravity, such as water. More particularly the invention relates to an automatic apparatus for skim ming oil from the surface of a confined body of water.

it is the main object of this invention to provide an automatic device which is responsive to the oil level above the surface of the water for controlling the speed of a pump used in skimming the oil from the surface of the water.

The invention may be fully understood from the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic flow plan of the oil skimming apparatus of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of the automatic float control pilot valve assembly of this invention;

Fig. 2a is an enlarged View of the pilot valve assembly and valve actuating means in the aspect illustrated by Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the float control of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3a is an enlarged view of the pilot valve assembly and valve actuating means in the aspect illustrated by Fig. 3; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the float control of Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring now to Figure 1, reference numeral 1 refers to a water-oil separator having oil-water inlet line 2 and an inlet box 3 separated from the main portion of the separator by baflle 4 having an opening 5 at the bottom. Inlet box 3 is provided with pilot valve assembly 6 having a water float 7, a pilot air control valve 8 carried by the water float and responsive to an oil float 9. The air control valve 8 is provided with air inlet line 10 and air outlet line 11. Air line 11 is connected to control valve 12 in steam line 13 to pump 14. Pump 14 sucks oil from the surface of the water in inlet box 3 through line 15 and discharges it to tank 16. The amount of oil discharged is automatically recorded by orifice meter 17.

Referring to Figs. 24, the pilot valve assembly 6 comprises a framework composed of upright rods 22 anchored to sump floor 23 by any desirable means such as expansion anchors 24, overhead angle cross pieces 25, top braces 26 and top diagonal brace 27. This entire framework is fastened to one wall of the separator 1 by means of angle beams 28 welded or otherwise fastened to cross beam 25. One face of angle beam 28 is fastened to the wall 29 by bolts 30.

Slidably supported on upright rods 22 are sleeves 31 connected at their upper ends to angle beams 32 and at their lower ends to angle beams 33. A cross angle beam 34 is supported by angle beams 32 at a point slightly 01f center.

Attached to the lower angle beam 33 is pontoon 7 adapted to float in water. Attached to the upper cross angle beam 34 is a pilot valve 8 having air inlet line 10 and air outlet line 11. The pilot valve 8 is not herein described as it may be any one of numerous types commonly known. Preferably however it may be one of the a mechanism controlled Also attached to pilot valve 8 is bracket 37, having an angle iron 38 attached thereto as by welding. Movably connected to angle iron 38, as by pivot 39, is body 40 having a slot to carry a balancing lever 41 which may be secured in the slot by a set screw. One end of balancing lever 41 is connected through rod 42 and turnbuckle 43 to oil float 9. The other end of the balancing lever may carry a balancing weight 44. Depending from body 40 is arm 45. Detachably and adjustably connected to A bracket 50 extending upwardly from the pilot valve 8 carries a nut and bolt 51 acting as a fulcrum for a The bell-crank lever 52 may be formed of two parallel members providing a slot within which at its upper end a cam roller 53 may be mounted on a bolt 5'4. At the other end of the bell-crank lever 52 and within said slot a rod 55 is mounted on a suitable transverse pin 56 passing through both parallel members of the bell-crank lever 52.

be provided with an expansion spring 60 mounted between upper and lower washers 61 and 62 respectively, the upper washer bearing against the under side of the 50 and the lower washer bell-crank lever 52 to which it is connected and maintain the cam roller 5'3 always in contact with the cam 47 as a result of the upward thrust of the plunger 59 on the finger 5. A nut 64 and suitable lock nut 65 is provided on the rod 55 to adjustably limit the downward movement of the rod 55 whereby the bell-crank lever 52 may be adjusted relatively to the pilot plunger 59 if desired, the nuts providing in effect a vernier adjustment and the water is displaced through opening 5, causing the water float 7 to lower while the oil float 9 rises. As the oil float rises it in turn causes the balancing lever 41 to tip moving cam 47 against roller 53 and causing bell-crank 52 to force finger 58 against plunger 59 depressing the same, and opening a valve inside body 8. This increases the flow of air from line 10 through the valve body 8 into line 11. The air from valve body 8 actuates the con trol valve 12 on the steam line 13 of the pump 14. The

cause the pump to run fast and register high on the meter 17, while conversely small amounts of oil will result in the pump running slow and the registered discharge rate will be low.

The nature of the present invention having been thus fully set forth and specific illustration of the same given, what is claimed as new and useful and desired to be. secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An :oil separating device comprising in combination a sump having a water and an oil level, an air valve in said sump, means responsive to the oil differential level in said sump for controlling the flow of air through said valve, a variable speed pump for removing oil from said sump, and means responsive to the flow of air through said air valve for controlling the speed of said pump.

2. An oil separating device comprising in combination a sump having a water and an oil level, an air line, a valve in said air line, means responsive to the oil differential level in said sump for controlling the flow of air through said valve, a steam motivated pump for removing oil from said sump, said pump having steam inlet and outlet lines, a valve in said steam inlet line, and means on said valve responsive to the flow of air through said air valve for controlling the amount of steam flow through said steam inlet line.

3. A control device comprising in combination a sump having a water and an oil level, a float carried by said water level, an air line, a valve in said air line carried by said water float, a float carried by said oil level, and means carried by said oil float for controlling the flow of air through said air valve.

4. An oil separating device comprising in combination a sump having a water and an oil level, a float carried by said water level, an air line, a valve in said air line carried by said Water float, a float carried by said oil level, means carried by said oil float for controlling the flow of air through said air valve, a pump for removing oil from said sump, and means responsive to the flow of air through said air valve for controlling the speed of said pump.

5. A control device comprising in combination a sump having a water and an oil level, a float carried by said water level, an air line, a valve in said air line carried by said water float, a float carried by said oil level, a steammotivated pump for removing oil from said sump, said pump having steam inlet and outlet lines, a valve in said steam inlet line and means on said valve responsive to the flow of air through said air valve for controlling the amount of steam flowing through said steam inlet line.

6. In a system for gravity separation of two immiscible liquids of different densities, including a stunp adapted to contain said liquids, and in which said liquids are separated into an upper layer of the lighter liquid, and a lower layer of the heavier liquid, said layers having an interface, an apparatus for withdrawing the lighter liquid from said sump, comprising a variable speed pump, a guide frame structure supported in said sump and extending vertically therein, a first float adapted to be buoyantly supported in said heavier liquid substantially at said interface, said float engaging said guide frame structure for vertically reciprocal movement relative thereto in response to variations in the upper level of said heavier liquid at the interface, a control means for varying the speed of said pump supported on said first float in vertieally spaced relation thereabove, means also supported by said first float, vertically thereabove, to actuate said control means, a second float independently disposed in said sump above said first float and operatively connected to said control actuating means, said second float adapted to be buoyantly supported in said lighter liquid and independently movable vertically of said sump in response to variations in the upper level of said lighter liquid with reference to said interface, whereby variation of the upper level of said lighter liquid with reference to said interface is transmitted through said second float and said control actuating means to actuate the control means and thereby to vary the speed of said pump.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

1. AN OIL SEPARATING DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A SUMP HAVING A WATER AND AN OIL LEVEL, AN AIR VALVE IN SAID SUMP, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE OIL DIFFERENTIAL LEVEL IN SAID SUMP FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SAID VALVE, A VARIABLE SPEED PUMP FOR REMOVING OIL FROM SAID SUMP, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SAID AIR VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF SAID PUMP. 